When a large Southern California water system wanted to probe the vulnerabilities of its computer networks, it hired Los Angeles-based hacker Marc Maiffret to test them. His team seized control of the equipment that added chemical treatments to drinking water — in one day. Click here for the full story Keep Reading
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a major white paper last week exploring technical options for creating a safer, more secure and resilient network of information networks. According to a statement from Philip Reitinger Deputy Under Secretary, National Protection and Programs Directorate the paper, titled Enabling Distributed Security in Cyberspace outlines how prevention and… Keep Reading
One of the last management audit reports Richard Skinner prepared before leaving the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as its Inspector General (IG) was the most recent evaluation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) transformation. Skinner discussed the September audit report’s findings in September during the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs… Keep Reading
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will take a three-pronged approach to centralizing security across the federal government, using automation, interoperability, and authentication to secure networks against attack, officials said in a white paper released this week. Click here for the full story Keep Reading
Cyber attacks against the federal government increased almost 40 percent last year, according to government data. Click here for the full story Keep Reading
Some agencies are turning to cloud computing providers to fulfill a requirement that they install smart card readers on all federal facilities by October. Click here for the full story Keep Reading
A financial audit of the balance sheet of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for fiscal 2010 was inconclusive but yielded a number of recommendations for the department to improve its financial management practices, according to a recent letter released by the DHS inspector general (IG). DHS hired the major accounting firm KPMG LLC to… Keep Reading
The top Senate Republican on homeland security said a serious attack on one of the country’s largest technological security providers this week is an “urgent” sign for Congress to pass comprehensive cyber security legislation. Click here for the full story Keep Reading
A Congressional Research Service (CRS) report released last week, Terrorist Use of the Internet: Information Operations in Cyberspace, “describes the ways that international terrorists and insurgents use the Internet strategically and tactically in pursuit of their political agendas.” The report, which “covers terrorist information operations in cyberspace,” stated that “the Internet is used as a… Keep Reading
A congressional panel expressed concern Wednesday that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) might not be well equipped to deal with a catastrophic cyber attack, lacking the authority and a strong relationship with the private sector necessary to combat a cyber disaster. Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.), chair of the House Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection,… Keep Reading
The Homeland Security Department needs hundreds of information technology workers — especially in the cybersecurity arena — but it faces considerable obstacles in doing so. Click here for the full story Keep Reading
The Department of Homeland Security has put out the word: It’s looking for private-sector executives to fill two key positions, including a cybersecurity post, for an exchange program that links DHS with industry experts. Click here for the full story Keep Reading
The Government Accountability Office this week overturned the Homeland Security Department’s award of a departmentwide financial management system to CACI, sources familiar with GAO’s decision told Nextgov. GAO spokesman Chuck Young confirmed the agency’s decision in an e-mail. Click here for the full story Keep Reading
A white paper published by an unprecedented coalition of industry associations and a civil liberties group Tuesday makes cybersecurity recommendations for the Obama administration to advanced its two-year-old Cyberspace Policy Review. The recommendations seek to impart a seven-point cybersecurity roadmap by strengthening cooperation between the public and private sectors through the combined expertise of the… Keep Reading
Lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Committee Thursday expressed bipartisan dismay at the prospect of budget cuts at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in fiscal 2011 and 2012, agreeing that they would result in unacceptable losses in border security and cybersecurity in particular. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the committee’s ranking member, expressed specific alarm… Keep Reading
Imagine it is September 10, 2011 – 9/10/11 – a full decade since the devastating terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Is our nation equipped for whatever catastrophe may happen tomorrow? How have our prevention, preparedness, response and resiliency structures changed, matured and become operational? The Homeland Security & Defense Business Council’s 9/10/11 Project looks… Keep Reading
Imagine it is September 10, 2011 – 9/10/11 –a full decade since the devastating terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Is our nation equipped for whatever catastrophe may happen tomorrow? How have our prevention, preparedness, response and resiliency structures changed, matured and become operational? The Homeland Security & Defense Business Council’s 9/10/11 Project looks at… Keep Reading
Cybersecurity is a potential "nightmare" for the Department of Homeland Security in the years ahead, as well as concerns about home grown terrorists and intelligence sharing, officials said at a seminar marking the department’s eight anniversary. Click here for the full story Keep Reading
Systems that issue US visas to foreign visitors and residents remain too vulnerable to disgruntled or criminal employees and contractors at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the DHS inspector general warned recently. Although US Citizenship and Immigration Services (UCIS) has taken some steps to mitigate the risk of insider threats, the agency could do… Keep Reading
The Homeland Security Department has made some notable progress on an initiative that aims to strike the perfect balance between federal employees and contractors within its workforce. Click here for the full story Keep Reading